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Tuesday, February 26, 2013

Over at my math and science blog I'm celebrating the fact that my Pinterest site has nearly 10,000 followers. I'm a bit shocked to tell you the truth. Pinterest has been a fabulous way for me materials related to elementary instruction. Where I once used Google Sites and Weebly, I now use the boards on Pinterest. I can't emphasize how important the visual aspect of this has been. Instead of reading through lists of bookmarks and site descriptions, I can actually SEE what things look like. To say this has revolutionized the way I organize ideas and resources is an understatement.

In honor of closing in on the 10,000 follower milestone, I am giving away copies of a few of my favorite science poetry books. Here they are.

Monday, February 25, 2013

It's been nearly two years since we visited climbing rhymes, so I think it's time to try again.

Climbing Rhyme is a form of Burmese poetry containing a repeated sequence of 3 internally-rhymed lines consisting of 4 syllables each. Since Burmese is monosyllabic, this works well, but in English this might be difficult. Instead of 4 syllable lines, let's try writing in lines of 4 words. (If you're feeling brave, go ahead and try four syllables!)

The rhyme scheme for climbing rhyme is internal. That means the position of the rhyming word changes. The rhyme appears in the 4th word of line one, 3rd word of line 2, and 2nd word of line 3. The pattern continues as a new rhyme appears in the 4th word of line 3, the 3rd word of line 4, and the 2nd word of line 5. This continues on, giving a stair-step feel to the poem, hence the name climbing rhyme.

For those of you who need to see this visually, here it is. Each x stands for a word. The letters stand for rhyming words. Just remember the 4-3-2 pattern.
x x x a
x x a x
x a x b
x x b x
x b x c
x x c x
x c x x

What kind of climbing rhyme will you write? Leave me a comment about your poem and I'll post the results here later this week.

Monday, February 18, 2013

My son was 12 on Saturday. It was a happy occasion, but these milestones make me sad when I reflect on how quickly he's growing up.

I've written him a poem every year on his birthday, though I've never read or given them to him. I'm saving them for some time in the future. I suppose I've always wanted someone to write me poems on my birthday, and that's why I write for him. Or perhaps I do it just because I'm a sentimental sap!

What do you do to celebrate birthdays an other special occasions. Do you write poems? Do you have a celebratory poem to share? What kind of poem would you like to receive on your birthday? Leave me a note about your poem and I'll share the results in time for Poetry Friday.

Tuesday, February 12, 2013

It's Tuesday, not Monday! I've learned it's awfully hard to read a blog post when you hit save instead of publish! That's what I get for trying to do seven things at once. As I age I seem to be getting worse at multi-tasking.

I've been a little down-in-the-dumps, so I believe some limericks might cheer me up. I'm currently trying to finish this one:

There was a young woman from Bath

Who loved nothing better than math

She ...

I am stuck at the moment, but I promise a rousing finish.

What limerick will you share this week? Leave me a note about your poem and I'll share the results in time for Poetry Friday.

Monday, February 04, 2013

I've been spending time reading admission files for the University. Every year I'm simply amazed at what these applicants have done and accomplished, most before the age of 18.

There are other things in this world that amaze me. Have you seen this video on underwater astonishments?

Nature amazes me, usually on a daily basis. Last week I walked out into the snow in the early morning hours to hear a woodpecker tapping away. It made me laugh and marvel at the world at the same time.

The sky still amazes me, no matter how many times I look at the moon or stars. I also find it to be quite humbling.

While I continue to read applications and wander through my week in wonderment and appreciation, I thought it might be fun to write about what amazes or humbles us. Leave me a note about your poem and I'll share the results in time for Poetry Friday.

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Blogs I Read

Below you will find links to some of the many blogs I enjoy reading. They are broken down into categories and include only the FIVE MOST RECENT POSTS. You will find blogs written by teachers, librarians, homeschoolers, parents, authors, illustrators and many other folks who share a love for children's literature. Enjoy!